City aims for brighter road entrance

The council put forward Roly Skender’s colourful circles and triangles as its preferred design at last week’s meeting.

One artwork will be put in place on Beaufort Street at the corner of Grosvenor Road and a second at the corner of St Albans Avenue.

A report to council says the two locations were chosen as they marked the entrance of the Beaufort Street Town Centre and would indicate to drivers that they needed to slow down.

But the design will not be added until Main Roads WA gives the final approval.

A Main Roads WA spokeswoman said road treatments which have the potential to diminish the effectiveness of road markings should be avoided.

‘From a road safety perspective, the concern is that regulatory markings may be overlooked amongst a variety of colours on road surfacing,’ she said.

‘For example, people with vision impairment may become confused.’

The spokeswoman said while Main Roads WA had agreed in principle to adding art, the organisation would work with the City to ‘reach an effective outcome’.

The council’s decision to add road art to the popular strip coincided with a request by the Public Transport Authority (PTA) to insert bus lanes to Beaufort Street.

Bus lanes were previously added to the City of Stirling controlled northern end of Beaufort Street and the City of Perth’s part of the street.

The Vincent council had previously refused to add peak period bus lanes to the street amid concerns it would be detrimental for businesses on the strip and increase traffic speeds, but agreed to add the lanes on April 8.

PTA spokesman David Hynes said the lanes would make bus services more reliable and timely.